Today, we are honored to have senior housing expert, John Downey, as our guest blogger. As Director of Prestige Senior Living (www.prestigeseniorliving.net), John has created a national Seniors real estate division focusing on the unique needs of our growing seniors population. – The KCM Crew

senior-woman1[1]We are a nation of trends.

From music to fashion to real estate.

We take notice of home buyers and sellers by trends as well and give them due focus. We have X’s, Y’s, Z’s and a group that will be in the spotlight for years to come: Baby Boomers. Born between the years 1946 and 1964, Forbes Magazine revealed this generation controls more than 70% of the total net worth of households, a total of $7 Trillion.

Demanding Attention

In an article on the website incomehedge.com, it was shown that roughly 27 percent of all owned homes are in the hands of those 65 and older as the home ownership rate exceeds 80% for those aged 65 to 84. This means that over 37 million homes are in a rapidly aging population.

Realtors Are Already Living It

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2013 Member Profile, the average Realtor age in the U.S. is 57. Many of these agents are already in the position of assisting to the matters of their aging parents and some are in complete control of the family’s decision making on this issue. They will make critical decisions about assets and health. This allows them instant insight and credibility, should they choose to share the passion of helping other Seniors in transition.

Some Seniors Must Try On Their Own

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Today, we are honored to have industry icon, Stephen Schweickart, as our guest blogger. He is the founder and CEO of VScreen, the nations leading video services company within the Real Estate industry. Stephen, just today, announced the launch of his company’s new video marketing tool, MarketVideos, which gives agents the tools to keep their name in all the right places with their clients. – The KCM Crew

Video-1024x1024[1]It seems with the release of new digital marketing tools, real estate professionals are finding more creative ways to interact and build relationships with their customers. Here are 5 reasons agents should be using videos.

1. Build relationships.   Video helps develop familiarity and approachability.  On a relational level, if someone can see what you look like, know how you interact, and get a sense of your personality it can put you in control of the first impression you have on them.  First impressions are the building blocks of any relationships.

2.  Stay top of mind.  If 70% of homebuyers forget the name of their real estate agent within 1 year of buying their home, it may be important to be remembered by the people you help.  Having relevant video content, like home improvement or maintenance tips, can help you stay top of mind with your clients even after they buy a home.

3.  Be easy to find.  When homebuyers are searching for properties the first place they go is the Internet.  Having searchable videos hosted on sites like YouTube will help your Google rankings.  Videos are 53 times more likely to generate a first page Google ranking. Once your video is ranked, consumers are then 41% more likely to click on a video within the search results over any other form of content.

4.  Grab and keep your prospects attention.  Video makes up for 50% of all internet activity.  Because of this, having a video on your website will keep visitors on your site up to six times longer…that’s 6X the opportunity to capture them as a lead.

5.  Be viewed as the local expert.  Delivering relevant videos to your current, past, and future clients is a great way to separate yourself from your competitors.  If the videos you have are truly helpful, they will increase repeat visits to your site, blog or social network.

Making It Simple

Now that you know why the use of videos is so important, the question remains “how”. You can either make a sizable investment in video equipment and training and hope for the best or see if there is an affordable, professional solution to the problem.

Through extensive research and testing, a video marketing tool has been discovered that easily and economically provides an answer. Market Videos are designed to provide real estate professionals with 5 high quality videos every month that educate prospective homebuyers of local market conditions, real estate tips, and home design.

Still Not Sure? Things You Should Know…

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Selling a House? 5 Reasons You Should Do It Now

June 17, 2013

Many are talking about why now is a great time to buy a home. Today, we want to look at why it might also be an opportune time to sell your house. Here are the Top 5 Reasons we believe now may be a perfect time to put your house on the market. 1.) Demand [...]

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Ethnic Belief in Homeownership [INFOGRAPHIC]

June 14, 2013

Today’s Infographic shows ethnic groups in America, and their belief in Homeownership.

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What It Takes to Differentiate Yourself in Real Estate

June 13, 2013

What separates the average agents from the top producers in the real estate industry?  Actually, it is quite simple. The top producing agent conveys such a keen understanding of the real estate market that the consumer finds it easy to depend on them as a trusted advisor. The great agent anticipates the concerns a buyer [...]

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Institutional Investors:Their Impact on the Housing Market

June 12, 2013

The real estate conversation in many corners has been dominated by the potential impact that ‘institutional investors’ may have had and will continue to have on the housing market. Institutional investor is a term used to define organizations which pool large sums of money and invest those sums in securities, real property and other investment [...]

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